Yan Chi…what role did she exactly play in the original work?
When Gu Qingtong woke up, her body was almost soaked in sweat, and she stared blankly at everything above her head. The dream only lingered on the moment when Yan Chi uttered those words, startling her awake.
Although she didn’t know what Yan Chi meant with that sentence, it was evident that in the original work, the two of them knew each other. The one who spoke that sentence was almost identical to the present Yan Chi.
Yan Chi stared at her so intently, as if her eyes had only her alone.
In the original work, did Yan Chi, after learning everything about Yan Song and the protagonist white moonlight, come to help her escape the quagmire1means difficult/tough situation in this context?
For now, she wouldn’t dwell on that sentence, instead, she thought about all the things people said about Yan Chi at the banquet.
Gu Qingtong clenched her lips tightly, feeling even more uneasy than hearing her own rumors.
When Yan Chi was a child… she must have been very pitiful.
Her father disregarded her and her mother, insisting on promoting his mistress.
It was said that after Yan Chi’s mother divorced, she went abroad and Yan Chi was left alone with no one to take care of her during a serious illness. She was finally sent to live with her grandparents until now.
Unlike herself, who already knew the original work and had changed, Yan Chi was still in such an isolated and helpless situation…
After all, she couldn’t even access the internal affairs of the Yan family enterprise.
Gu Qingtong naturally connected this dream with what Yan Chi had told her before, once again confirming Yan Chi’s pitiful identity.
Having grown accustomed to seeing Yan Chi rescue her from difficulties time and time again, Gu Qingtong almost forgot about her frailty and loneliness.
No, whether she was just an observer watching Yan Chi from afar or her… wife, she couldn’t allow Yan Chi to meet the same end as in the original work and lose everything, leading to a downfall.
Gu Qingtong secretly made up her mind that at the banquet, she would stay by Yan Chi’s side and protect her from those malicious people.
However, at this moment, Gu Qingtong had no idea about the extent to which Yan Chi was pretending to be weak while hiding her true strength.
Meanwhile, in the Yan family’s residence, Yan Chi was undergoing her regular monthly check-up with the family doctor.
“Have you been having a fever again recently? Is it because you haven’t been resting well?” Dr. Lin, a kind and amiable woman in her fifties, was responsible for examining and providing care for the Yan family for a long time. As she spoke, she scribbled down the examination data on a form with a sloppy handwriting.
“It’s somewhat like that, but there are other reasons too,” Yan Chi replied quietly, half reclining on the examination chair.
Dr. Lin’s smile seemed to hold some hidden meaning. During the examination just now, she seemed to have noticed something on Yan Chi’s pale skin. She was not an outsider to the Yan family and had faintly heard that Yan Chi had been spending time with a young girl recently.
Dr. Lin reminded her: “Although there’s nothing major now, you still need to take care of your health and not exert yourself too much.”
Especially emphasizing the word “exert” in the hope that Yan Chi would understand what she meant.
Yan Chi’s grandmother, who was standing nearby, became nervous as soon as Dr. Lin left. She immediately asked Yan Chi: “Is it happening again? Why didn’t you tell me? I’ve been saying that you shouldn’t stop taking herbal medicine to regulate your health. I’ll have the housekeeper prepare the medicine right away.”
“Grandma, there’s no need to trouble yourself. I know my limits, and besides, I still have to attend Yan Song’s engagement banquet later, right?” Yan Chi raised her head and smiled at the Yan family patriarch and his wife sitting beside her.
Before that incident, herbal medicine had some effect, but after what happened… Yan Chi understood that Gu Qingtong was the root cause of everything.
Upon hearing Yan Song’s name, even the Yan family patriarch couldn’t hide his discomfort and advised Yan Chi: “We only have to deal with them because we represent the Yan family. You don’t need to do so. Although no one dares to openly criticize you, you have a quiet temperament, and going there will undoubtedly attract unnecessary flattery and disturbance from others.”
However, Yan Chi suddenly spoke: “Our cooperation with the Yan family is about to be publicized. Even if we don’t mention the engagement, people will interpret it that way. So, it’s better for me to release some news myself…otherwise, they will still refer to Qingtong as Yan Song’s former fiancée.”
Before the Yan family patriarch could respond, although Yan Chi’s face showed little emotion, her voice carried a hint of coldness: “I care about it.”
Only then did the Yan family patriarch and his wife realize: “Ah, it’s because of that girl from the Gu family, right? Are you ready to make it public in the circle?”
The couple had watched Yan Chi grow up, so they naturally understood her thoughts. If she were really considering a marriage alliance, she wouldn’t still be single at the age of thirty. It’s just that her temperament is colder than others, always distant and indifferent, which is why she hasn’t been moved by anyone so far.
Now that she suddenly started a relationship with Gu Qingtong, outsiders might think it’s a marriage alliance, but they knew that Yan Chi’s feelings for that girl might not be simple.
“Yes,” she replied.
The Yan family patriarch nodded: “Once you’ve made a decision, that’s final.”
Recently, they had heard about Yan Chi and Gu Qingtong appearing on the same TV show, even a dating show. He was quite excited about it and was planning to ask Yan Chi about it when she returned: “Is Qingtong also involved in television like you? She’s much younger than you, just graduated recently. If you can help her in her career, then lend her a hand.”
When Gu Qingtong was mentioned, Yan Chi’s gaze softened, and she chuckled lightly, “She’s thin-skinned and stubborn, not even accepting help from her own family members, let alone me. I had to coax her into doing that show together.”
Yan Chi recalled that variety show. If Gu Qingtong had known she was going to be there from the beginning, she would probably have avoided and distanced herself from it.
But this time, with Yan Chi’s unexpected arrival into the show, she had no choice but to go along with it.
All of this was Yan Chi’s doing; she wanted to bind the two of them together and push Gu Qingtong’s reserved nature forward.
“Isn’t the show about to air? It seems like it’s next week?” Yan Chi’s eyes glimmered with a hint of anticipation.
After saying this, the Yan family patriarch’s tone shifted: “Do you still have no intention of entering the company?”
Yan Chi was one of the most outstanding among the younger generation, and everyone thought she would directly take over the Yan family’s company from her grandfather. However, she didn’t care about it and repeatedly refused, citing her health as the reason.
But the patriarch knew the real reason. Due to past events, Yan Chi despised the people of the Yan family and naturally didn’t want to work with them.
In such a massive family, any relationship is entangled with too many vested interests.
Until she has the complete ability to eradicate some malignant shareholders who are obstructing the Yan family, she won’t return to the company.
Yan Chi politely refused, as always, “There are plenty of people more qualified than me for that position.”
Her expression remained calm, as if completely negating the Yan family patriarch’s previous speculation, showing that she seemed utterly indifferent to them.
This moment of indifference caused the Yan family patriarch to hesitate for a brief moment.
“Don’t pressure her. Our granddaughter can take care of her health, do what she loves, and be with the person she likes. That’s all that matters,” Yan Chi’s grandmother glared at the patriarch and then smiled at Yan Chi.
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In the evening, at the wine estate in the southern suburbs of the Yan family, the place was adorned with colorful lights and filled with the sound of toasting and laughter.
They were about to hold the engagement banquet for Yan Song and Wu Suwei.
Although it was called an engagement banquet, it was merely an event where the families of Yan Song and Wu Suwei invited numerous guests from City A to announce their marriage alliance.
However, in the upstairs lounge at this moment, an argument was unfolding.
“Weiwei! Why is Gu Qingtong here? Did you send her an invitation?!”
Yan Song’s voice was filled with panic.
He had long heard from his mother about Gu Qingtong’s threats and knew she was someone who followed through with her words. Remembering how she had sent evidence to his ex-girlfriend, causing them to break up, he was afraid she might do something similar again. So, he went to find Wu Suwei ahead of time.
After days of sweet words, promises, and brainwashing, Wu Suwei was persuaded not to believe any of Gu Qingtong’s defamatory words.
Yan Song knew Wu Suwei’s weakness, which was Gu Qingtong. As long as he flattered Gu Qingtong and praised her, Wu Suwei would believe anything.
Yan Song’s guess was correct; on the third day, Gu Qingtong sent the documents directly to Wu Suwei’s doorstep.
Choosing between a lover and an enemy, Wu Suwei naturally chose to believe Yan Song. Without even looking at the evidence, she even sent an invitation to Gu Qingtong, inviting her to confront her directly at the scene.
When Yan Song saw that Gu Qingtong had actually come to the venue, he panicked and went to question Wu Suwei.
“Didn’t you say she was trying to drive a wedge between us because she couldn’t have you? Of course, I had to let her come and see her own pitiful state,” Wu Suwei said casually.
Ever since she accepted Yan Song’s pursuit, she had been eager to compare herself to Gu Qingtong and make her jealous. Now, she wanted to show off in front of Gu Qingtong.
Seeing that her fiancé seemed displeased, Wu Suwei furrowed her eyebrows and asked with suspicion: “What are you afraid of? Weren’t you saying all those things are fake and just meant to sow discord? If you dare to lie to me, you’re done for! I haven’t settled the matter of the engagement ring yet!”
Yan Song had custom-made a valuable ring from the T brand for her. She had planned to show it off to her girlfriends, but when she received it, the size was too small.
Obviously, there was no time to pick a new ring now, so Wu Suwei could only force it onto her middle finger, pinching it painfully.
“No… I’m just afraid that crazy woman will ruin our engagement banquet,” Yan Song said with difficulty, taking a deep breath, already imagining a scene where he would be socially ruined.
After all, Gu Qingtong was someone who always followed through with her words, and she wasn’t afraid to offend anyone. She did whatever she pleased.
“Why be afraid? Even if Gu Qingtong causes a scene at our engagement banquet, it will just be a joke for others to watch. After all, everyone knows her reputation,” Wu Suwei said, looking at her reflection in the mirror, wearing the elegant dress, feeling quite satisfied. She was about to meet Gu Qingtong soon and couldn’t afford to be outdone.
Meanwhile, in the banquet hall.
Gu Qingtong came with her friend Yan Yijia.
Yan Yijia was, after all, Yan Song’s cousin, so she was naturally included in the invitation list.
“I heard you’ve been doing variety shows recently? No wonder you haven’t bothered me,” Yan Yijia said as soon as she saw Gu Qingtong, expressing her relief and hoping for more of these peaceful days.
Recently, both of them were busy with their respective careers and rarely had a chance to meet. Moreover, the news of Gu Qingtong and Yan Chi’s marriage alliance had not been revealed to the public yet. To keep the secret, Gu Qingtong didn’t inform Yan Yijia in advance, treating it as a hidden marriage for business purposes.
Speaking of variety shows, Yan Yijia suddenly became interested and gossiped: “Are you really forming a CP2Couple Pairing with Yan Chi? How does it feel?”
She had clicked into the trending topic about Yan Chi, but unexpectedly saw Gu Qingtong there.
Yan Chi and Yan Yijia were nominally cousins, but they didn’t have much of a relationship. Nevertheless, even though they didn’t know each other well, Yan Yijia held high praise for her cousin. She had admired Yan Chi during their school days and often mentioned her in front of others, including Gu Qingtong.
Not just Yan Yijia, almost all the wealthy second-generation individuals were interested in Yan Chi’s gossip. After all, she was a genius with a lot of mysteries surrounding her, and who wouldn’t want to explore more about her?
Form a CP? Not just that, they had a marriage alliance!
Although she thought this way in her heart, Gu Qingtong knew she couldn’t say it out loud. Her eyes lit up as she looked at the dessert plate brought by the waiter and happily went to get a delicate piece of cake. She said: “It’s just a matter of luck. Yan Chi… is just as everyone sees her.”
Gu Qingtong, Yan Yijia, and Yun Mingxuan were good friends during high school, and they all paid attention to Yan Chi, but only Gu Qingtong kept it a secret from others.
She had never exposed her attention to Yan Chi in front of anyone, even to her childhood best friend. So when Yan Yijia received such an answer, she quickly forgot about the matter.
Yan Yijia looked around discreetly and whispered: “So many people are watching you. I feel embarrassed for you. Are you really determined to confront them?”
She was right; most of the people attending the engagement banquet were from the wealthy circle. Everyone knew about the previous engagement between the two that was quickly broken off. However, due to Gu Qingtong’s reputation as a spoiled heiress, they were biased and easily believed the rumors spread by Yan Song.
Seeing Gu Qingtong attending the engagement banquet openly, they couldn’t help but sense a hint of danger, as if they smelled the scent of a storm:
“Could she be here to snatch the marriage? There seems to be nothing she, Gu Qingtong, wouldn’t dare to do.”
“It looks like she lost the marriage alliance and is jealous. After all, not many people would be willing to marry such a spoiled heiress. It must be tough. I heard she’s even abusive at home!”
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Gu Qingtong couldn’t hear their discussions, nor did she care. She simply said: “Heh, they’re just here to watch the show, to see if Yan Song dares to show his face.”
At this moment, Gu Qingtong held all the initiative and yet chose not to make a move. To prevent Wu Suwei from losing face in public, Gu Qingtong even sent her a separate set of information exposing Yan Song’s flaws, hoping she would carefully reconsider marrying such a person. But unfortunately, she didn’t appreciate the gesture and instead came to provoke Gu Qingtong.
Gu Qingtong picked up a small cake and ate it with small bites. She suspended the sword over Yan Song’s head like this and wanted to see how long they could endure.
From time to time, she glanced at the entrance, hoping to see Yan Chi’s arrival.
In the distance, a few young men and women looked at Gu Qingtong with surprise. They didn’t expect her to show up at the engagement banquet.
They were the fox-like friends who grew up with Yan Song, a well-known group of playboys among the second generation of the wealthy.
Gu Qingtong guessed it right; the rumors started from this group.
After Yan Song was injured and the news of his engagement with Gu Qingtong being canceled spread, everyone became curious about what happened. Faced with numerous inquiries, Yan Song felt embarrassed. In order to salvage his reputation in the circle, he had to temporarily fabricate those lies.
Soon, these rumors spread like wildfire, avoiding Gu and Yan families but reaching everyone who knew Gu Qingtong.
In fact, even these rumor-mongering playboys themselves believed the exaggerated stories concocted by Yan Song. They thought Gu Qingtong, as a fool, was not worthy of being with Yan Song and that her unrequited love for him had caused him harm.
So, after the initial surprise, as Yan Song’s close friends, they thought their enemy would surely come forward to vent their anger and seek justice.
However, before they could act, Yan Song hurriedly arrived and quickly stopped them from acting on their thoughts.
“Can you really tolerate this?” someone asked Yan Song.
Yan Song could only pretend to be indifferent and said: “Let it go, I won’t argue with women.”
Gu Qingtong glanced at the group of people with disdain. They had spread rumors so confidently, but now they didn’t dare to confront her face to face.
Thinking this, she turned her head back to look in the direction of the entrance, wondering when Yan Chi would arrive.
The dream from last night resurfaced in her mind again, and even the surroundings of the winery seemed exactly the same. Gu Qingtong became even more convinced of the authenticity of the original story.
Just then, there was a commotion ahead, and Yan Song’s and Wu Suwei’s families warmly welcomed someone who had arrived.
Naturally, it was Yan’s family patriarch, who held absolute authority within the Yan family and was also highly respected in the wealthy circle. Almost no one would dare to disrespect him.
Gu Qingtong also became alert, but her focus was clearly not on Yan’s family head; instead, she kept her eyes fixed on Yan Chi standing beside him.
Yan Chi rarely appeared at such banquets, but she instantly caught everyone’s attention, and discussions began:
“That… Is that Yan Chi? I didn’t expect her to be invited!”
“But isn’t there some grudge between Yan Chi and Yan Song’s family? Wouldn’t it be awkward?”
“What do you know? Yan Song’s family has to curry favor with Yan Chi just to have a chance to speak in front of the Yan family head. They wouldn’t dare to make any trouble; they are not on the same level.”
Although Gu Qingtong couldn’t hear exactly what they were saying, as someone who had a precognitive dream, she could tell that they weren’t saying anything good about Yan Chi. She glared at those people who were gossiping.
Of course, she wouldn’t know that Yan Chi was now almost like a new favorite that everyone in the wealthy circle wanted to befriend.
Not only did people dare not speak ill of her face to face, but even behind her back, they marveled at Yan Chi’s methods. In just a few years after leaving her family, she had already brought her father to the point of having no place to survive in the Yan family due to her revenge.
Yet, she appeared completely indifferent to all of this, and although everyone knew it was her doing, they just couldn’t catch any flaws in her.
After Yan Song respectfully drank with Yan’s family head while accompanied by Wu Suwei, he turned to Yan Chi and introduced her with a tone of flattery and eagerness to please: “This is my sister, Yan Chi. You must have heard of her before.”
Even though his arm had been broken by Yan Chi before, in the face of absolute power, he still had to lower his voice and show humility.
Wu Suwei also knew about Yan Chi and, at this moment, as she was being introduced to her, she couldn’t help but feel a mix of admiration and nervousness, saying: “Hello, big sister.”
However, Yan Chi’s gaze fixed on the engagement ring on Wu Suwei’s middle finger. It seemed that the diamond ring was not quite the right fit, and she struggled a bit to force it on, pinching the flesh.
Under the scrutiny of Yan Chi’s gaze, Wu Suwei felt uneasy. She hadn’t expected anyone to notice her ring, and she felt extremely embarrassed, quickly hiding her hand in her sleeve.
Yan Chi stopped at that point, saying nothing more to the couple, and continued following behind Yan’s family patriarch, walking towards the hall.
When Yan Song customized this ring, he spent a hefty sum of money, and at that time, he had several potential targets he was pursuing. Not knowing who he would end up with, he opted for a standard size to avoid wasting money. That’s why it ended up being a bit small for Wu Suwei’s hand.
He was sure that Yan Chi noticed it, but she simply wanted to give him a small way to save face in front of everyone.
“Yan Chi is the nemesis of a certain scumbag. She can’t be bothered to deal with him.”
Yan Yijia clapped her hands in delight and glanced over at Gu Qingtong, only to find that she had disappeared in an instant.
“I’ll go say hello to Senior Yan. You don’t have to mind me.” She hurriedly left and left behind this parting sentence.
It seemed that the two of them had some interaction on the variety show, as they were both figures in the same circle. Yan Yijia saw it as just a professional courtesy and didn’t think much of it.
Gu Qingtong weaved her way through the crowd that had been looking in that direction and hurriedly ran over to Yan Chi’s side. She saw someone approaching Yan Chi, but she couldn’t tell if they were friend or foe, so she took the initiative and stepped in front of Yan Chi, blocking the person’s path.
The person, who had originally intended to network and flatter Yan Chi, felt embarrassed and awkward, tapping his nose and had no choice but to find another target, holding his wine glass.
“Tongtong.” Yan Chi’s voice came from behind, startling Gu Qingtong.
Why was she using such a nickname in front of so many outsiders?!
Yan Yijia, who was observing from afar, almost choked on her drink and was about to burst into laughter. They had only been on the variety show for a few days, and they were already on such familiar terms? What was going on?
Ignoring the gazes of the onlookers, Yan Chi walked up to Gu Qingtong and looked at her with a smile, as if she were a frightened little hamster.
She then extended her thumb and naturally wiped away a speck of cake crumb from the corner of Gu Qingtong’s mouth.
The interaction between the two… was just too eye-catching and ambiguous.
“Wǒ chāo3Translated from 我焯, is an chinese internet slang that means I’m screwed but it is used in a shocked context.” Yan Yijia dropped the whole cup of water she was holding on the ground with a loud thud.
The news of Yan Chi and her brother’s ex-fiancée being acquainted and appearing intimate had spread like wildfire in the high society circle, almost instantly.
Yan Song was the only person among them who knew about the relationship between Yan Chi and Gu Qingtong. He had previously suspected that Yan Chi had set her sights on his fiancée, Gu Qingtong, from the very beginning, which is why she had helped guide the situation to make Gu Qingtong discover everything. Now, his suspicions were confirmed once again.
His anger couldn’t be contained, and his fingers clenched into fists at his side.
“How does Yan Chi know Gu Qingtong?”
The memory of the embarrassment and humiliation she felt when her ring was scrutinized flashed in Wu Suwei’s mind, making her feel even more unsettled.
Why was Yan Chi so cold and aloof to her but so caring and intimate with Gu Qingtong?
“How would I know!” Yan Song was already irritable, and now he also wanted to know how the two of them knew each other. He retorted back, and in the process, he infuriated his fiancée, who stormed off.
With the feelings of unfairness and the attitude of comparing herself to Gu Qingtong, Wu Suwei could hardly think straight. She was determined to let Yan Chi know the true nature of Gu Qingtong. After all, she was the “crazy woman” who had violently injured Yan Chi’s younger brother, dislocating one of his arms!
So she directly walked towards Yan Chi and Gu Qingtong.
Seeing the furious expression on his fiancée’s face, Yan Song thought to himself, ‘This is bad,’ and immediately tried to stop her.
But he couldn’t stop her, and she even dragged him over to confront Yan Chi and Gu Qingtong face to face.
“Gu Qingtong! You still have the audacity to attend my and Yan Song’s engagement banquet! It was you who had someone stab and dislocate my fiancé’s hand, right? He’s still crippled because of you. Today is the perfect opportunity to settle this old score!”
Wu Suwei couldn’t see the despair and collapse in her fiancé’s expression. All she saw was Gu Qingtong, and she was ready to expose her true nature.
Before Gu Qingtong could respond, Yan Chi held her hand, indicating that she would handle it.
Yan Chi looked at both of them, her voice calm but with an imposing force: “Just a moment ago, you were so knowledgeable about etiquette and seniority. Now you don’t know anymore?”
“What… What do you mean?” Wu Suwei was completely stunned, not understanding what Yan Chi was getting at.
On the other hand, Yan Song suddenly realized what she was about to say, and his face turned pale.
“Call her sister-in-law,” Yan Chi said with a hint of irony.
Yan Chi calmly watched as both of them quickly broke down their defenses, unable to believe what was happening. She playfully scratched the warm and soft palm of Gu Qingtong, whose hand she was still holding.
Gu Qingtong, who had always been unfazed in front of others, was now desperate to hide behind Yan Chi.
Seeing them remaining silent, Yan Chi lifted an eyebrow and coldly said: “Haven’t I already taught you a lesson?”
Yan Song and Wu Suwei directly addressed Gu Qingtong with an extremely respectful term. Even though they were shocked and displeased with Gu Qingtong, the overwhelming pressure compelled them to reluctantly squeeze out two words: “Sis..Sister-in-law.”
Everyone in the room knew the status of these two prominent figures. The meaning behind those words was clear – Yan Chi and Gu Qingtong were together!
No one dared to openly discuss it in front of Yan Chi, so they exchanged glances with one another.
Who was Yan Chi? And what kind of person was Gu Qingtong?
The gap between the two was like that of a celestial being and a useless, talentless individual, as if they belonged to completely different worlds.
Yet, the two of them, hand in hand, were directly telling everyone that they were a couple, and the tightly clasped hands reaffirmed it to everyone.
As shock subsided and people began to process the situation, they realized that it wasn’t Yan Song who had rejected Gu Qingtong; it was Yan Chi who had swooped in and snatched her prospective sister-in-law.
With this new perspective, a fresh round of gossip circulated, but no one dared to criticize Yan Chi. It seemed that Yan Song was the real loser in this situation.
Among the crowd, the most shocked person was undoubtedly Yan Yijia. As Gu Qingtong’s friend, she had no idea when and how Gu Qingtong and Yan Chi had gotten to know each other. How did they end up together so suddenly?!
She carefully recalled it all. It seemed that since the car accident, Gu Qingtong had not been the same as before. She would call frantically, crying and making a fuss over minor issues.
At that time, Yan Yijia thought Gu Qingtong was just busy with work. After all, the engagement deal fell through; she probably had to take on more endorsements, right?
Now, everything seemed to make sense. Whether it was that incident or Gu Qingtong’s hesitant response when asked about her plans after the engagement was canceled, it all fell into place.
She had even claimed earlier that Yan Chi was just her senior in the entertainment industry!
Yan Yijia was both shocked and angry. She looked at Gu Qingtong, who was trying her best to lower her presence like an ostrich, and she wanted to pull her aside to question her right away.
Unfortunately, the enmity between the few of them was far from over.
“About the incident with the hand…it was me. But it was just a warning to Yan Song about his improper family ethics. Is there any problem with that?” Yan Chi continued: “Are you all so concerned about my wife’s affairs? If you’re curious, why not ask Yan Song in person and see how he responds?”
“It’s all my fault…” Every time Yan Song faced Yan Chi, he seemed to lose all power to retaliate. He knew that even if he didn’t say anything, Gu Qingtong, Yan Chi, and even Yan’s family patriarch would reveal everything. In an instant, he dropped to his knees, honestly confessing all the details of the incident.
Yan Song’s parents felt their vision blur, everything was ruined…
As for Yan’s family patriarch, he took just one look before shifting his gaze away, showing an indifferent attitude. Ever since Yan Song disappointed him, he had completely separated their family from his trust. This attendance was merely to save face as the family head; he wouldn’t inquire about anything else.
Silence filled the surroundings. It was the first time everyone knew the full story, and they realized that the rumors they had heard before had completely slandered Gu Qingtong.
It was also the first time they saw the true face behind Yan Song’s well-behaved appearance.
Now, no one dared to hold back their discussions. They pointed at Yan Song, scolded him, and his face was utterly lost, unable to lift his head.
Upon hearing the truth, Wu Suwei was the first to lose control. She desperately tried to take the engagement ring off from her hand: “He dared to deceive me?! Despicable scum! Dad, I won’t marry him. I never liked him in the first place. He deceived me!”
The whole scene descended into chaos. The only thing certain was that this marriage was definitely off.
Meanwhile, while everyone’s attention was on the commotion caused by Wu Suwei, Gu Qingtong looked at Yan Chi in panic: “You! How could you reveal our situation?”
“It’s fine; it’s just within the elite circles of the aristocratic families. They know I belong to the Yan family, so the rumors won’t spread outside, right? After a few days, when the joint project between the Gu and Yan families is announced, even if we don’t make it public, there will still be some mysterious rumors circulating.”
She comforted the anxious Gu Qingtong. Suddenly, her tone changed, and she fixed her eyes on Gu Qingtong: “But for myself, I can’t bear it anymore.”
“Tongtong, I don’t want your name to be associated as someone else’s ex-fiancée, even if it’s the former one.”
Yan Chi’s every word fell into Gu Qingtong’s ears. Though her voice was gentle, it seemed to carry countless meanings, powerfully declaring something.
Gu Qingtong knew that going public within the elite circles was inevitable, but she didn’t expect it to be done so suddenly and embarrassingly. After the initial panic faded, her cheeks began to turn red.
“Si… sister-in-law, it’s just too strange!”
“Gu Qingtong!” Yan Yijia looked at her and Yan Chi, taking a deep breath, still finding it hard to believe.
Seeing Yan Yijia’s expression, Gu Qingtong knew she would blame her for not telling her about this. She was so scared that she hid behind Yan Chi.
Yan Chi looked at Yan Yijia and also recognized her. She extended her hand and said, “Tongtong mentioned you before. Thank you for taking care of her all this time.”
Facing Yan Chi, Yan Yijia’s anger dissipated, and she sheepishly pulled back her hand, laughing: “It’s nothing. When we were kids, Gu Qingtong saved my life. My little care for her compared to her life-saving grace is nothing at all, hahaha.”
“Wow! Why didn’t you say that before? You complain about me all the time!” Gu Qingtong scolded her while jumping up.
Yan Chi’s eyes showed a hint of amusement, and she was interested in the story about Gu Qingtong from her childhood. She asked: “She saved your life? What happened?”
“It was when I was in elementary school. I used to be very introverted and slow in my movements. One day, while walking on the street, a billboard suddenly fell from above. I was frightened and frozen in place, but Gu Qingtong, who was walking behind me, pushed me aside just in time to avoid getting hit. It was summer, and in order to save me, her arms and legs were scraped and bruised. She cried for a whole day and night.”
Yan Yijia continued talking: “You know, Gu Qingtong can be so annoying when she’s feeling unwell—complaining about every little ache and discomfort, refusing to eat this and that. It’s really challenging to take care of her. So, every time people ask me why I spoil her so much, they think it’s because she saved my life, and it’s true!”
Gu Qingtong tried to stop her from revealing more about her past and blushed, arguing: “No way! I didn’t act like that!”
Yan Chi silently looked at Gu Qingtong, with a strange and melancholic emotion in her eyes. Despite being so much older than her, she seemed to have had no part in her life before…
But in the next moment, Gu Qingtong hugged her arm and pouted, saying: “Come on, let’s go! Don’t listen to her exaggerated nonsense. I’ve been like this since I was little. I’m not that delicate!”
“Have you remained just as adorable from childhood to adulthood?” Yan Chi’s heart seemed to clear up instantly due to Gu Qingtong’s unintentional action. She allowed her to pull her along and turned her head to look at her bold and beautiful profile. Under the shining lights, she seemed even more dazzling.
She couldn’t help but reach out her hand, wanting to touch her.
To touch… that light that had always been there.
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After the engagement incident, Yan Song and Wu Suwei’s marriage was completely called off, and the relationship between the Yan family and the Wu family became extremely tense. Meanwhile, the hot topic in the circle recently was about Yan Chi and Gu Qingtong.
With the launch of the joint project between the Gu and Yan families, almost everyone knew that they were the ones getting married.
Although many couldn’t understand or comprehend the relationship, because that person was Yan Chi, everyone followed the trend and began to praise the match, shifting from “How could Yan Chi be interested in Gu Qingtong?” to “Yan Chi just likes the type of Gu Qingtong.”
Despite the intense discussions within the entertainment circle, the rule of keeping it secret from the public still holds. There were no leaks or rumors outside the circle, and the fandom for the two remained quietly devoted.
Until “Love Game” was finally released over the weekend.
Almost everyone was eagerly anticipating the storm that was about to unfold.
